Colorado commits to Mike MacIntyre, asks donors to fund Folsom Field

New Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre will be paid a $750,000 bonus for winning a national championship. (Brennan Linsley, The Associated Press)

The University of Colorado must submit a plan for a major facilities renovation by Dec. 1, 2013, or new football coach Mike Mac- Intyre can leave without penalty, according to his contract approved by the Board of Regents on Wednesday. The upgrade, which would include a new football operations center and possibly an indoor practice facility built behind Folsom Field's east stands, has yet to be financed. With no state funds allocated for the project, CU is banking on donors to provide the "overwhelming" amount of funds.

"It's time for Buff Nation to step up and open the checkbooks," Board of Regents chairman Michael Carrigan said Wednesday. "The university has made a significant financial commitment to the success. We (read) a lot of e-mails that said, 'Well, I used to give' or 'I might give.' Now's the time. We need people to step up."

According to MacIntyre's contract, CU will pay him $2 million annually plus incentives, and the university must submit a plan for a football/athletics operations center to the board by Dec. 1, 2013. And it must award the design contract by Dec. 1, 2014. Otherwise, MacIntyre can leave without penalty.

"The commitment that's coming out of the institutional level, the system level, the board level, is unprecedented," said CU athletic director Mike Bohn. "Now that we've made a significant commitment through our senior leadership, it's imperative we match that at an even higher level from fans, alumni, season-ticket holders and others."

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Bohn said he doesn't have a cost estimate for the facilities, but one concept is for a building that's 86,000 square feet, twice the size of CU's Dal Ward Center, which was built in 1991. Dal Ward would then be used primarily as an academic center and headquarters for Olympic sports as well as hosting game-day activities.

With the bid deadline set for Dec. 1, 2014, groundbreaking wouldn't begin until 2015, MacIntyre's third year, with completion possibly not until 2016. How fast the process moves depends to a large degree on donations.

"That will determine whether our plan is five years, 10 years," Carrigan said.

CU, coming off a school-worst 1-11 season, is widely considered to have football facilities near the bottom of the Pac-12, with most other schools having undergone significant upgrades in recent years or in the middle of substantial improvements.

"The program initiatives were important to (MacIntyre) and they were also very, very important to us," Bohn said.

MacIntyre's annual $2 million salary is more than twice what predecessor Jon Embree made. With incentives, Embree was making about $750,000. MacIntyre, who led San Jose State to a No. 24 ranking and 10-2 record this season, was making about $500,000. He can also earn plenty in incentives at Colorado.

In addition to the potential to earn incentives for victories and bowl appearances, MacIntyre can earn $300,000 in off-field incentives yearly: up to $100,000 for academic progress, up to $100,000 for the "welfare and development of football program student-athletes" and up to $100,000 for "development of football program outreach, culture and reputation on campus."

If MacIntyre leaves before the end of his contract and the university meets the facility requirements, he must pay a $2.3 million buyout in 2013, $1.9 million in 2014, $1.6 million in 2015, $1.3 million in 2016 and $1 million in 2017.

"There's been a lot of discussion lately and, quite honestly, some doubts from some members of the Buff Nation that this university is committed to success on the football field," Carrigan said. "This statement and the leadership that we've seen the last 10 days should show that's not the case."

CU agreed to allocate at least $2.6 million to hire assistant coaches. It was $2.36 million for nine assistants under Embree. Also, CU will have three new full-time positions: a director of recruiting, a director of academics for football and a football equipment manager, positions that will pay up to $75,000.

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